Dr. Munique Maia. may have tapped the fountain of youth with her new medical-grade skin care line. The scientifically proven products are designed to simplify the process, help you maintain a healthy regimen, be consistent in your application and potentially delay the need for surgery.
“There’s a lot of education that goes into my work,” says the Brazil-born, Tysons-based board-certified plastic surgeon, who released Maia MD Skincare in late October. “I tell my clients it’s like going to the dentist and having your deep cleaning every six months: You still have to brush your teeth. It’s the same thing with skin care. I can do a treatment here, and you have great skin for a couple of weeks. But if you don’t do the maintenance at home, [the effects won’t last].”
Maia worked with chemists for more than a year to formulate each product, its ingredients and usage for best results: reducing signs of aging, improving texture, hydrating and preventing acne and hyperpigmentation. The line is also vegan; paraben-, fragrance-, cruelty-and gluten-free; and noncomedogenic, ensuring its positive impacts go beyond your face alone. So how did Maia’s passion for skin care grow? She su ered from acne as a teen, but with the help of dermatologists, her complexion improved. She trained at the Cleveland Clinic, in New York and at Harvard. She and her family (her husband and two kids) settled in McLean about three years ago, and she opened her own practice in 2020 (she began with Dr. Gloria Duda at McLean Plastic Surgery). She specializes in cosmetic procedures and noninvasive treatments of the face, breast and body. Maia MD is the latest expansion of her skills.
Each of the 11 products has unique benefits and active ingredients that can extend the results you get in her office, no matter your skin type. “The line fits different needs, sensitive skin, acne and maskne,” she says. The latter is the pandemic problem du jour. The name of each product is also key. She wanted to clear up confusion about each item’s role.
“People hear about retinol but don’t know what it does,” she says. The Restorative Serum (for collagen production) increases cell turnover and helps with aging. en there’s the Skin Rejuvenator with seven peptides, like argireline (to smooth) and dipeptide-2 (for elasticity). “Peptides are the building blocks of your collagen, and that improves skin health,” she adds.
Maia MD can be purchased online and in her office; results can typically be seen in six weeks. Beyond that? She eventually wants to add an at-home peel and microneedling devices, as well as powder sunscreen. But that takes time, she says—like putting your freshest face forward.
This story originally ran in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
